FAYETTEVILLE -- Fayetteville's defense took the fight out of the "Battle of the Bulldogs" with a dominating performance during Friday's 52-14 victory against Springdale at Harmon Field.
It was Fayetteville's fourth consecutive victory after a four-game losing skid. It clinches the third seed in the conference and a home game for the playoffs for Fayetteville (5-4, 4-2 7A-West). Springdale (5-4, 2-4) will play Rogers for the No. 5 seed next week.
"I've liked our team all year," Fayetteville Coach Billy Dawson said. "We get better every week. The guys are playing faster with a lot more confidence. You see it coming, you just hope it happens. And, boy, these guys have really come on."
Seven sacks -- including two by Dotson Schaefer -- and three first-half turnovers allowed Fayetteville to race out to a 28-0 lead despite running just eight offensive plays to that point. That's because of a quick-strike offense -- junior quarterback Darius Bowers completed 4 of his first 5 passes for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns -- and an opportunistic defense, including a 22-yard scoop-and-score by Keondre Conley off of Coleman Johnson's forced fumble.
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"They're awesome," Dawson said. "Our defensive staff has done a really nice job with those guys. Our defensive front is really playing fast and physical. People have had trouble running the ball a little bit, and now we're getting to the quarterback some.
"I'm really excited about how fast they're playing."
Dawson also applauded the defense's endurance because it was on the field for the majority of the first quarter when Fayetteville needed just five offensive plays to build a 21-0 lead. Springdale quarterback Layne Hutchins didn't have much time to throw -- Will Litzinger and Jay Burns intercepted passes in the first half -- and the running game was largely ineffective because of the relentless pressure from Fayetteville's defensive line.
"Right out of the gate, their defensive line just did a great job," Springdale Coach Zak Clark said. "Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to those guys. They were very disruptive, especially in the first quarter."
After a blocked field-goal attempt on Springdale's opening possession, Bowers connected with Cody Gray for a 32-yard touchdown pass. Gray, who slipped three tacklers on the touchdown, began the three-play drive with a 35-yard reception.
Conley's fumble recovery return for touchdown came on Springdale's next possession. Then, just two plays after another defensive stop for Fayetteville, Bowers hit Connor Flannigan in stride for a 63-yard touchdown strike.
"Offensively, we stressed all week, 'Hey, let's come out and jump on this thing early. Let's start fast,' and they did that tonight," Dawson said.
Sports on 10/28/2017